Latest news with #GovernmentOrder
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
Tamil Nadu intensifies tobacco ban near schools, seizes 4.1 lakh kg, imposes INR 39 cr in fines
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has stepped up enforcement against the sale and distribution of tobacco products near schools and colleges, as part of its ongoing public health efforts. In an official release, the government said it had instructed the Tamil Nadu Police, Food Safety Department, and local bodies to undertake focused enforcement drives to ensure strict adherence to anti-tobacco laws in areas surrounding educational institutions. To facilitate these efforts, 391 joint inspection teams -- comprising officials from the Police, Food Safety and Standards Department, and the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department -- have been formed to conduct routine checks near schools and colleges across the state. The manufacture, storage, transport, distribution, and sale of oral tobacco products such as gutkha, pan masala, Cool Lip, and other forms of chewable tobacco remain banned in Tamil Nadu under a Government Order issued under Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The state has been running an extensive enforcement campaign since November 2023. According to the government, the Food Safety Department has inspected over 5.2 lakh shops and transport vehicles during this period. Of these, 13,642 shops were found selling prohibited tobacco products. Authorities have seized 1.8 lakh kilograms of banned tobacco, including 5,258 kg of the product Cool Lip. A total fine of Rs 39.14 crore has been imposed on violators by the Food Safety and Standards Department. In a parallel effort, the Tamil Nadu Police have registered 43,167 cases and confiscated over 4.1 lakh kg of banned tobacco items. Reaffirming its stance, the government said: "The Tamil Nadu government reiterates its unwavering commitment to protecting public health, particularly children and young adults. On this World No Tobacco Day, the state calls on all citizens to support and cooperate with these enforcement efforts and to work towards a tobacco-free environment around educational institutions." The initiative underscores the state's continued focus on reducing tobacco use and ensuring a safe and healthy atmosphere for students and youth. Ready to empower your child for the AI era? Join our program now! Hurry, only a few seats left.
Hans India
a day ago
- Health
- Hans India
TN govt intensifies crackdown on tobacco sales near educational institutions
Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has stepped up enforcement against the sale and distribution of tobacco products near schools and colleges, as part of its ongoing public health efforts. In an official release, the government said it had instructed the Tamil Nadu Police, Food Safety Department, and local bodies to undertake focused enforcement drives to ensure strict adherence to anti-tobacco laws in areas surrounding educational institutions. To facilitate these efforts, 391 joint inspection teams -- comprising officials from the Police, Food Safety and Standards Department, and the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department -- have been formed to conduct routine checks near schools and colleges across the state. The manufacture, storage, transport, distribution, and sale of oral tobacco products such as gutkha, pan masala, Cool Lip, and other forms of chewable tobacco remain banned in Tamil Nadu under a Government Order issued under Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The state has been running an extensive enforcement campaign since November 2023. According to the government, the Food Safety Department has inspected over 5.2 lakh shops and transport vehicles during this period. Of these, 13,642 shops were found selling prohibited tobacco products. Authorities have seized 1.8 lakh kilograms of banned tobacco, including 5,258 kg of the product Cool Lip. A total fine of Rs 39.14 crore has been imposed on violators by the Food Safety and Standards Department. In a parallel effort, the Tamil Nadu Police have registered 43,167 cases and confiscated over 4.1 lakh kg of banned tobacco items. Reaffirming its stance, the government said: 'The Tamil Nadu government reiterates its unwavering commitment to protecting public health, particularly children and young adults. On this World No Tobacco Day, the state calls on all citizens to support and cooperate with these enforcement efforts and to work towards a tobacco-free environment around educational institutions.' The initiative underscores the state's continued focus on reducing tobacco use and ensuring a safe and healthy atmosphere for students and youth. Tamil Nadu, tobacco ban, educational institutions, public health, enforcement drives, World No Tobacco Day
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Holistic steps needed to bring communities together in Coastal Karnataka
The state government, earlier this week, set up a Special Action Force (SAF) to curb communal violence in Coastal Karnataka. It is a welcome move to improve policing in the region that has witnessed many revenge killings and communal flare-ups. But the SAF alone will not be enough to ensure lasting peace and communal harmony. There is a need for a holistic approach to strengthen the social fabric. By constituting the special force, the government has shown its intent and resolve to tackle the serious issues impacting the districts that are otherwise doing remarkably well in various indices. As per the latest Economic Survey, Bangalore Urban's Gross District Domestic Product (GDDP) is Rs 9,98,659 crore with 39.1% contribution to State GDP, followed by Dakshina Kannada with 5.4%; Bangalore Urban district per capita income is Rs 7,38,910 is the highest among all the districts, again followed by Dakshina Kannada at Rs 5,56,059 and Udupi at Rs 5,33,469. In the Human Development Index, industry, and services sectors, Dakshina Kannada is the second place after Bengaluru Urban. The coastal districts in the state are also known for their top-quality higher education institutions that attract students from different parts of the state, even the country. However, on the flip side, this region remains communally hyper-sensitive, and that could impact its developmental prospects. Frequent communal incidents bring a sense of fragility to peace in the region, requiring constant vigil to maintain it. Even the Government Order (GO) constituting the SAF cites the state police chief's recent letter expressing concern over an increase in communal incidents in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, and the potential of smaller incidents quickly evolving into major challenges to maintain law and order.
India Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Temple lands not lentil, jaggery to be given away: Jagan Reddy's party leader
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) senior leader and former MLA Malladi Vishnu on Friday criticised the Chandrababu Naidu-led coalition government's recent move to allocate temple lands without public auctions. He called it a 'sinister attempt' to hand over sacred assets to favoured organisations under the guise of was referring to a Government Order (GO) issued on May 2, which amends the 2003 lease and license rules under the Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions Act. The order allows temple lands to be leased for up to 33 years at nominal rates without auctions, which Vishnu says violates court-mandated procedures and undermines temple lands are not political spoils to be distributed like lentils and jaggery,' said Vishnu. He accused the TDP government of bypassing both cabinet approval and legal safeguards, enabling select groups to access temple lands worth thousands of crores. Citing past controversies, Vishnu recalled how during the TDP's 2014-19 tenure, an attempt was made to offload 83 acres of Sadavarti Satram land near Chennai for Rs 22 crore, until a legal battle and re-auction, led by YSRCP, brought in Rs 60 warned that with 87,000 acres of temple lands already under encroachment and only 1.6 lakh acres generating revenue, the new GO could pave the way for massive asset for the immediate withdrawal of the order, Vishnu said YSRCP would explore all legal avenues to protect temple lands and urged devotees and religious groups to join the resistance. 'Temple lands are a sacred trust, not real estate for political allies,' he Watch IN THIS STORY#Andhra Pradesh
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Karnataka High Court sets aside govt order withdrawing 43 cases including those related to Hubballi riots
The Karnataka High Court on Thursday set aside a state government order to withdraw 43 criminal cases including those related to the 2022 Hubballi riots, during which a mob pelted stones at a police station demanding the handover of a person who had allegedly made derogatory social media posts about Islam. The order was passed by a bench of Chief Justice N V Anjaria and Justice K V Aravind in response to a PIL petition filed by advocate Girish Bhardwaj. Delivering the order, Chief Justice Anjaria said, 'The Government Order dated 15.10.24 is hereby set aside. It is declared that the order shall stand non est from inception. Consequences in law shall follow.' The full court order is awaited. The petitioner's counsel, senior advocate Venkatesh Dalwai, argued that as per section 321 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, it is not the state government but the public prosecutor that plays a role in the withdrawal of cases. The court also observed earlier while issuing a notice seeking a response from the state that a strong prima facie case was made out. The Congress government's order set off a political controversy when it was passed last October, withdrawing prosecution against the accused in the riots case, pro-Kannada activists, and farmer leaders. In connection with the stone-pelting at the Old Hubbali Town police station in 2022, 152 people were initially arrested in 12 cases. The Opposition BJP had also urged Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to revoke the decision made by the cabinet. BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai termed the high court order as a reprimand. 'I had earlier said that withdrawing a case related to an attack on a police station is not right. Yet the government withdrew the case due to political pressure and appeasement politics. The court has rightly reprimanded them,' said Bommai, who was the chief minister when the Hubballi incident took place. Incidentally, the order was the final one passed by Chief Justice Anjaria on his last day at the high court. As reported by The Indian Express, he was recommended along with two other high court judges for appointment to the Supreme Court. The Presidential assent for their appointment was confirmed in a social media post on Thursday by Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.
